Freeman Grimaced and Checked His Hand During His Final At-bat in the Fifth Inning, With Kiké Hernandez Replacing Him at First Base

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman left Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs early after being hit by a pitch on the hand, but X-rays came back negative and he is expected to play Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Freeman grimaced and checked his hand during his final at-bat in the fifth inning, with Kiké Hernandez replacing him at first base. Manager Dave Roberts and Freeman both said he should be in the lineup for Friday's series opener at 6:40 p.m. PT.

The Dodgers have lost six straight, their second-longest streak since April 2019, despite a five-run eighth-inning rally that fell short when Hernandez couldn't drive in the tying run. Freeman extended his hitting streak to 15 games earlier in the contest. He has played at least 147 games in each of his four full seasons with Los Angeles, and backup Dalton Rushing is on the injured list with a UCL tear, leaving Hernandez or a shift involving Max Muncy and Tommy Edman as potential fill-ins if needed.